Lubricator



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. POWELL.

LUBRIGATOR.

(No Model.)

FIG-2.

FIG.1.

s SheetsSheet 2. J. POWELL.

LUBRIGATOR (No Model.)

No. 463,320. Patented Nov. 17,1891.

Q i q w z 5 Elm As l4 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. POWELL. LUBRIGATOR.

No. 463,320. Patented Nov. 17,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES POVELL, OF AVONDALE, OHIO.

LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,320, dated November 17, 1891. Application filed December 15, 1890. Serial No. 374,817. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES POWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing .at Avondale, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricators and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, which forms part of this specification.

This invention relates to those upfeed-lubricators which are used on duplicate enginecylinders or the twin cylinders of a locomotive, are attached to steam-boilers or live steam pipes, and have a pair of oil-discharge pipes that deliver oil into the steam-cylinders; and the principal feature of my present improvements comprises a novel combination of parts that prevents cross-feeding of oil from one cylinder of the engine to the other, and also removes all danger of siphonage when the'locomotive runs on a downgrade with steam shut off from either one or both of the cylinders, the details of said combination being hereinafter more fully described.

My present improvements also include certain peculiaritiesin constructing minor parts of the lubricator, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved lubricator. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing said lubricator attached to a locomotive-boiler. Fig. 3 is a plan of the lubricator. Fig. 4 is an enlarged axial section of the oil-reservoir and one of the condensers. Fig. 5 is an enlarged axial section of a condenser and its attachments, said section being taken in the plane of the ejectorvalve, which valve is closed. Fig. 6 is an enlarged axial section of this valve in its open condition. Fig. 7 is an axial section of the oil-rese1woir drain-cock. Fig. 8 is a similar section of a bonnet at the base of one of the sight-chambers. Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional elevation of one of the ejector-nozzles detached from the lubricato'r. Fig. 10 is an enlarged horizontal section of the lubricator taken in the plane of the valves F F, the screwconnections wherewith the pipes and other at tachments are coupled to the oil-fount being omitted, the position of the condensers indicated by dotted circles, and both injectornozzles being advanced.

A represents the oilfount or reservoir, and A is a customary gage-glass attached thereto, which gage has a screw-threaded cap or plug A", the removal of which permits the ready filling of said fount with any suitable lubricant. This gage is preferably applied to the front of the fount, while the back of the latter has a screw-threaded stud a and nut a, wherewith the lubricator is securely fastened to a boiler-bracket a, as seen in Fig. 2. Passing diametrically across the upper part of the fount is a Water-channel 1), common to both condensers, and having a cen-. tral opening 19', controlled by valve 17", as seen in Fig. 4, the opposite ends of said channel being carried up at b' to communicate with the counter-bores b" of the heads B B, to which the condensers O O are coupled. The lower ends of these condensers have tubular extensions 0, that enter the counterbores 19", thereby forming traps of the same character as those described in Letters Patent No. 372,764, granted to me November 8, 1887. Furthermore, each condenser is traversed by an axial steam-tube 0, open at top and bottom, the upper end of each tube being housed within branches d,depending from the opposite ends of a horizontal pipe 01, which latter connects with an inclined steam-pipe D,

leading to the boiler and having a suitable throttle-valve D. The lower end of each steam-tube c communicates with a counterbored oil and steam passage 6, (seen more clearly in Figs. 6 and 10,) in front of which passage 2. seat e is formed, while a cylindrical bore 6" leads from the rear of said passage and opens into an oil-discharge pipe E, connecting with one of the locomotive-cylinders.

E is another oil-discharge pipe connecting with the other cylinder.

F is a stem having a valve f, serving to connect said stem with the ejector-nozzle G, which latter fits snugly within the bore 6', the construction being such that said nozzle is never entirely withdrawn from said here. This nozzle has, preferably, a bell-mouthed channel g, communicating with one or more small openings g of spindle f, the arrangement of these parts being such that said opening 9 will always occupy the counterbored passage 6 when 4 the lubricator is in operation.

the valve-chamber of this bonnet.

F is the stem of the ejector-valve of the other condenser.

Located in front of the valve-seat e is a channel h, made in the head B and leading into the upper end of a sight-tube H, whose lower end rests upon a readily-detachable bonnet I, provided with the feed nipple or nozzle 77. and a valve ,that'regulates the upward discharge of oil from said nozzle. 2" is an oil-channel that leads from the fount into J in Fig. 8 is a vertical channel in this bonnet, which channel has a ventage j, controlled by a plugvalve j.

I is the bonnet of the opposite sight-tube H, which latter is provided with a duplicate of the devices above described.

The oil-channels t" 2", of which there are two at the bottom of the reservoir, have their inner ends closed and have bushings 70 7c screwed into them, which bushings have oiltubes 70 is engaged therewith. K K are plugs screwed into the bottom of the reservoir, the removal of which plugs enable the ready unscrewing of said bushings and theirattached tubes, which operation is facilitated by slotting or nicking the-lower ends of these bushings, so as to admit a screw-driver.

Located centrally at the bottom of the reservoir is a short neck L, screw-threaded internally, as seen in Fig. 7, to admit a cap M,

' having an orifice m, passing centrally through a seat m, which orifice is closed by the upper or solid end of avent-valve N, having an axial channel at and lateral ports at. These ports open into a chamber m" of said cap. at" is a screw-thread that couples the ventvalve to the cap. This vent-valve N is used for drawing off the accumulated water when the fount needs to be refilled with oil.

0 O are customary auxiliary oil-cups comm unicatin g respectively with the oil-discharge pipes E E and having cocks or valves 0 0'. These cups temporarily supply oil to the cylinders when the sight -chambers break or when the lubricator is otherwise injured.

The action of the lubricator is as follows: The fountA is readily filled with oil after removing the cap A", and when said cap is replaced the lubricator is brought into service by admitting steam at the throttle-valve D and opening the valves F F so far as to cause the reduced spindlef to enter the counterbore of seat 6 and thus permit the ready flow of condensed water into the pair of sightchambers H H, which fiow continues until said chambers are filled. The valve 19' is then opened to permit water-from both of the condensers O. O to enter the fount A and thereby gradually displace the oil from the latter, this discharge being regulated by properly adjusting the valves 2' v; ofthe nipples h" h, which valves are so set as to afford from three to five or more drops of lubricant per minute, according to the special requirements of the engine. When the proper rate of feed has been secured, both valves F F are nearly closed, so as to leave only a limited passage between them and their seats 6. Consequently the quantity of oil passing from channel It into the passage 6 is effectually controlled, and the flow from this passage is also restricted by the small hole 9, which isthe only avenue of escape for thelubricant. The

oil is driven through this hole by the pressure of live steam entering the counterbored passage e from the tube 6' and is eXpelled'throu'gh the channel of ejector-valve G directly into the oil-discharge pipe E. This construction of the readily-removable ejector-valve and nozzle is a greatimprovement over the usual arrangement, where the restricted oil and steam passage is located ,or fixed permanently within the head of the sight-chamber, as it is obvious that my present ejector valve and nozzle can be easily withdrawn from the head either for cleaning, inspecting, or repairing. This pipe E then carries the steam andoil to one cylinder of the locomotive, the other cylinder being supplied withlubricant through the pipe E. Itwill thus be seen that each cylinder is supplied with oil by the action of two separate and independent condensers carried by a single fount or reservoir, the result being to prevent a cross-feed from one cylinder to the other, which objection is quite common with some classes'of lubricators and frequently causes one side of the engine to be over charged with oil while the otherside has very little or none. The way this cross-feed is prevented will be readily understood by referring to Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 10, and to illustrate this feature of my invention let it be supposed the cylinder or engine communicating with 'pipe Ev in Figs. 6 and 10 is for some reason making an unusual draft or suction in the lubricator. The first result of this draft will be to exhaust all the water from the trap 12 of the opposite condenser O, and thus allow a free fiow of live steam to pass down said condenser and thence along channel I) to the pipe E; but no oil can be drawn forward with this current of steam because of the very restricted outlet afforded by the minute passage g for the escape of the comparatively thick and heavy lubricant. ever, as this unusual draft ceases, the trap 19 will again fill with water and the normal operation of the apparatus be restored without requiring any attention from the engineer. It will also be seen that there is a great ad vantage in having two independent condensers, as the condensing capacity is doubled, while at the same time, if either of them should be disabled'from any cause Whatever, there would still be one left in reserve for supplying the fount with the necessary water for displacing the oil. Again, this arrange- As soon, how- 11161113 of independent condensers with separate ejector nozzles isolates the sight-feed chambers H II from each other, thereby preventing any interference with the delivery of oil, and also renderingit unnecessary for the engineer to be constantly on the watch to see that each discharge-nozzle is performing its regular duty.

iVhen the locomotive is running on a downgrade, or when the steam is shut off, there is no danger of the oil being siphoned out of the fount, because the opening b of the waterchannel I) is at the top of said fount and not at or near the bottom thereof. Therefore the tendency to produce a vacuum on such occasions cannot rob the fount of a single drop of oil; but the proper regulated supply of oil will always be obtained on a downgrade because the regular action of the lubricator is assured through the limited opening g.

Any dirt or sediment lodged against the in ner side of the sight-tubes 1 1 H can be readily scoured off by opening the valves j j, so as to allowlive steam to flow through said tubes, the valves it being closed during the operation.

As the bonnets I I are simply screwed to the lubricator, they can be readily detached at any time for the purpose of cleaning the feed-nipples h h or inserting a new sighttube.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in an upfeed-lubricator, of a single oil-fount A, a pair of independent condensers C G, applied thereto and having steam-inlets cl d, steam-tubes c c, fitted within these condensers and communicating with passages e" 6, leading to the discharge-pipes E E,a Water-channel 1), leading from said condensers to said fount, a pair of sight-chambers II II, provided with nipples h It, independent feed-tubes k 71% for supplying oil to said nipples, channels 7t it that permit oil to escape from said sight-chambers and flow into said passages e e and readilydetachable ejector-nozzles G G, fitted within the latter, said nozzles being pierced with small bores g g, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, in an upfeed-lnbrica- .tor, of a single oil-fount A, a pair of independent condensers O 0, applied thereto and having steam-inlets d (l, steam-tubes c c, fitting within these condensers and communicating with passages e 6', leading to the discharge-pipes E E, a water-channel b, leading from said condensers to said fount, a pair of sight-chambers H H, provided with nipples h h, independent feed-tubes 71" k for supplying oil to said nipples, channels it it that permit oil to escape from said sight-chambers and flow into said passages c e, which latter have seats 6' c and readily-detachable ejector-nozzles G G, fitted within said passages, said nozzles being pierced with small bores g g and being connected by spindles f f to adjustable valve-stems F f F f, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in an upfeed-lubricator, of the fount A, a pair of independent condensers C C, applied thereto, a water-trap at the lower end of each of said condensers, a common water-channel 6, connecting said traps and having an opening I) that discharges into the upper part of said fount, a pair of sight-feed chambers H H, inclosing nipples 7L h, and tubes k k for supplying oil to channels that communicate with said nipples, substantially as herein described.

4. In a lubricator, the detachable bonnet I, coupled to a lateral projection of the lower part of the fount and supporting a sightchamber H, said bonnet being in communication with an oil-discharge passage 2" of said fount and being provided with a main valve 1 feed-nipple 7L, channel J, ventage j, and secondary valve j for the purpose described.

5. The combination, in a lubricator, of the reservoir A, having an oil-discharge passage 2', a screw-threadedbushing is, inserted in the upper side of said passage, an oil-feed tube k, engaged with said bushing, and a detachable plug K, screwed into the lower side of said passage 1', as herein described.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES POXVELL.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. LAYMAN, SAMUEL M. QUINN. 

